How the 2012 Election Could Impact the Future of Coal - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

How the 2012 Election Could Impact the Future of Coal

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By Annie Moore, Reporter - email

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The 2012 Presidential election campaign came to an end on Tuesday.

But as thousands of coal miners in West Virginia headed to work Wednesday, many wondered whether their jobs would still be waiting six months from now.

"There's nothing else I can do tomorrow to make the same money I'm making now," said coal miner Jeff Purdue.

In 2012, President Barack Obama sidestepped Congress when he issued new EPA regulations aimed at cutting down on coal ash emissions and greenhouse gases.

With those regulations set to take effect, Purdue is worried his employer will cut his company's losses with the new requirements and move out of state. "We can put people in space. I don't see why we can't burn clean coal."

In August, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report that said the regulations issued by the President would close older, coal-fired power plants.

The news was met with considerable backlash in the coal industry, especailly among miners in Southern West Virginia like Ryan Ballard, who say a life in the mines is all he knows -- his only path to a life otherwise out of reach.

"There's people out here making good money and all they want is a chance to shine but he's not going to let them shine," said Ballard.